I think most things are more on a continuum than "need vs. want" implies. Its too binary.
My family of four could survive in a one bedroom apartment - God knows my father grew up sleeping in the kitchen - in the bathtub! My mother survived the first 12 years of her life without indoor plumbing. Running to the outhouse in January in Minnesota CAN be done - so indoor plumbing must be a "want" and not a "need" - right? People all over the world live off diets of primarily rice, beans and vegetables. It can be done.
On the other hand, I'd really like a diamond tiara - I'm a little obsessed with Tiara Thursdays over at the Royal Order of Sartorial Splendor blog. But, unless I suddenly marry into the Dutch royal family, it isn't exactly a need for me.
So there are the basic survival needs - shelter, food, clothing, heat, time to relax and recharge. Then their are the secondary "upgrade" needs that in modern America are, in fact, needs - adequate bedroom space for everyone in the family. Healthy food that has variety in it. In many areas of the country - a car. Saving for retirement. From there, you get into "minor wants: - dinner out once in a while. Nicer clothes. A better than functional car. Then there are "middle class wants" - and those depend on where you fall in the middle class and what your priorities are but are things like vacations, maybe a Coach purse. Somewhere on the continuum, you get into dressing in Chanel - which isn't a need for anyone - and tiaras, which isn't a need unless you are actually a member of a royal family going to tiara events (and even then, they are frequently borrowed).
My own struggle is books. I could go to the library, but I tend to just buy things on my Kindle or run to the bookstore. I've gotten better, but books are sort of my downfall - and I frequently have two or three copies of my favorites because a copy isn't at my fingertips when I want to reread it (which has gotten better as my favorites have been bought on the Kindle.)
